Henry Louis Gates, Jr. talked about the life of an African American between 1950 and 1970, when "colored" was the name used by both outsiders members of the race themselves to self identify. Dr. Gates talked about the black vernacular and said that he would like to write a book about each subsequent name, such as "Negro" and "black." He talked about black culture during this time, including racial relations. He also talked about his life, work, and family and how he came to write the book. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is the author of Colored People: A Memoir, published by Alfred A. Knopf. (timspalding)… (more)

RESCHEDULED FROM FEBRUARY 28, 2012. PREVIOUSLY PURCHASED TICKETS WILL BE HONORED. Life upon these shores: Looking at African American History, 1513-2008 Henry Louis Gates, Jr Henry Louis Gates, Jr., is the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and the Director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Studies at Harvard University. He is the author of numerous works of criticism, including The Signifying Monkey, winner of the American Book Award. As the writer and producer of the acclaimed PBS documentary African American Lives, Gates explored the histories of many prominent African Americans. Life upon these shores traces African American history from the era of exploration to the election of President Obama. Illustrated with ancient maps and contemporary cartoons, the book documents diverse African American involvement in U.S. history, politics, and culture. Parkway Central Library 1901 Vine Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 (between 19th and 20th Streets on the Parkway) This is a TICKETED event; $15 General Admission, $7 Students. For more information, please call 215-567-4341, or click here

EVENT POSTPONED. THE FREE LIBRARY OF PHILADELPHIA IS WORKING TO FIND A NEW DATE. PLEASE CHECK BACK NEXT WEEK FOR AN UPDATE. Life upon these shores: Looking at African American History, 1513 - 2008 Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., is the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and the Director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Studies at Harvard University. He is the author of numerous works of criticism, including The Signifying Monkey, winner of the American Book Award. As the writer and producer of the acclaimed PBS documentary African American Lives, Gates explored the histories of many prominent African Americans. Life upon these shores traces African American history from the era of exploration to the election of President Obama. Illustrated with ancient maps and contemporary cartoons, the book documents diverse African American involvement in U.S. history, politics, and culture. Parkway Central Library 1901 Vine Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 (between 19th and 20th Streets on the Parkway) This is a TICKETED event; $15 General Admission, $7 Students. For more information, please call 215-567-4341, or click here Tickets on sale January 12, 2012 at 10:00 a.m.

A landmark book, Life Upon These Shores traces African American history from the arrival of the conquistadors to the election of Barack Obama. Informed by the latest scholarship, it focuses on events, debates, and controversies, as well as the achievements of people famous and obscure. Gates leads us through the sixteenth century and into the ordeal of slavery, relates the impact of the Civil War and Reconstruction, describes the fears of the Jim Crow era and the dreams of the Great Migration, and carries us from civil rights and black nationalism into the age of hip-hop and the Joshua generation. By illuminating the diversity of African American society, politics, and culture, Gates denies the presumption of a single “Black Experience.” Henry Louis Gates Jr. is the director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research and Alphonse Fletcher University Professor at Harvard University. He is the author of several award-winning works, including the memoir, Colored People, as well as The Future of the Race co-authored with Cornel West and Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Black Man. (jasbro)… (more)